(foto: Screenshot)
International defender Victor Gabriel has been banned until his injured opponent returns to training, with the suspension lasting up to a maximum of six months.
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Internacional defender Victor Gabriel has received one of the most unusual punishments in football after a Brazilian sports court ruled that his suspension will only end when the player he injured is fit enough to return to training.
The decision follows a horrific challenge during a Brazilian Serie A match against Cruzeiro on 22 July, when Victor Gabriel was sent off for a reckless tackle that left forward Gabriel Pec with a fractured left tibia.
Pec, who had only recently joined Cruzeiro from LA Galaxy, was making his debut for the club. Cruzeiro went on to win the match 2-1, but the result was overshadowed by the serious injury.
On Tuesday, Brazil's Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) ruled that a standard suspension would not be sufficient given the severity of the incident.
The court announced that Victor Gabriel will remain suspended until Gabriel Pec is medically cleared to return to training, although the ban cannot exceed 180 days.
"The offender may remain suspended until the injured party can return to training, respecting a maximum period of 180 days," the court said in its ruling.
The decision can still be appealed.
During the hearing, Victor Gabriel apologised for the incident and insisted there had been no malicious intent behind the challenge.
"It was a completely unfortunate incident. I apologised to him and offered my help. I asked him to forgive me because I never intended to hurt him. All I could do at that moment was pray for him."
The disciplinary proceedings also took an unexpected turn after questions were raised about evidence submitted by Internacional. The club's legal team presented audio claimed to be from the match's VAR system, but the court questioned its authenticity.
Internacional later admitted that the recording had been taken from social media and acknowledged that it should not have been included in the player's defence.
In an official statement, the club stressed there had been no intention to mislead the court and confirmed it had immediately requested the audio be removed from the case file after recognising the mistake.
The extraordinary ruling has already sparked widespread debate, with many describing it as one of the most unusual disciplinary sanctions ever imposed in professional football.